Brand New World
by KusunagiSwordsWoman
Summary: Fighters are praised in this somewhat tainted world. The best income comes from fighting monsters or fighting other people in this island country called Konoha. Sasuke and his group arrive on Konoha wanting to make a name for themselves and live out their dreams. Can Sasuke, Itachi, Naruto, and Sakura truly live on this island? Will he find something else along the way?
1. Fresh Off the Boat

**A/N: So before I begin I would just like to say what inspired this story. Basically, the idea came from playing on a minecraft server with some friends of mine. I still play their now. I don't want to make this into a crossover though so I will be adding my own little twist on some things so that it fits in more with the story. I hope you enjoy the story.**

I looked out the window and saw the harbor was close by. I couldn't wait to dock. I got up and stuck my looked out the window to see as much as I could. The harbor didn't really show much of this great place I had dreamed of so I wasn't annoyed when a knock at my door diverted my attention away from the window.

"Hey teme." A somewhat idiot looking blonde said to me when I opened the door. "It's gonna be time to dock. Sakura and I already have our gear together. You should pack up your things and meet us on the deck."

"Give me a second then dobe." I told him.

He smiled and walked away. I heard him say "Hurry up" as he walked down the hall and up the stairs.

I quickly gathered my belongings. A suitcase filled with my clothing that I had washed the day before. A backpack that had an assortment of items like some money, a few pictures of my family, my identification information and what not.

"Mom, dad..." I muttered as as I was ready to leave the room. "I know you wanted to bring Itachi and me here yourselves. I know you wanted us to grow up in Konoha but things... Plans... Plans changed huh? Well, I made it here now. I promise, I won't get into too much trouble while I'm here."

I walked out of the room and shut the door lightly. I made my way up to the deck and saw a few people already there though not a lot. My brother was among some of his friends. He glanced at me and smiled before returning to whatever conversation he was in.

Near the front of the ship I saw my two life long friends, Naruto and Sakura. Yes the moron that came to get me was actually my best friend. Well he was kind of like a brother. He had lost his parents when he was still just a baby. Our familys were friendly with each other so my parents raised him along side me and Itachi. He had this blonde hair that tened to spike up even when he tried to comb it. His eyes were a nice blue that went well with his blonde hair and slightly tanned skin. My parents said that he looked like his dad but acted a little more like his mother. I never met them so I can't say I know first hand but he was a bit of a goofball.

Then there was a Sakura. She was a local girl that Naruto and I grew up with. She was always the smartes girl in the class and one of the few that could beat my grades if I ever slipped up even a little. After a while she started talking to us and we became friends. Her name may be a common one but no one on the island had natural pink hair like her. Her bright sea green eyes matched the shallow water of the beaches at home perfectly. She was normally a cheery person unless someone , like naruto, says something that angers her.

They both greeted me when I approached. I noticed the 3 of us were the only ones with our belongings. I didn't really care too much. I greeted them as I aproached.

"The docks are near the hotel. If we're lucky we can get rooms there before anyone else on the boar." Sakura said with a smile.

"Yeah but we still have to make it through customs here." I told her. "Hopefully we can go through all of that quickly."

I took a deep breath and almost tasted the salt of the sea. This day was real. It wasn't one of the many dreams I was having. I was almost to Konoha. A place filled with friendly people, magic, and much more.

"We won't be staying the hotel forever." I told them. "We'll find a decent place to live and then we can settle there as we move closer to our goal."

Naruto smiled as he looked at the shore.

"We'll be unbeatable." Naruto said faintly. "We're weak now cause we're gonna be newbies but soon we'll be on top."

I couldn't help but smile at Naruto's words. He was thinking the same thing I had been planning for us ever since we were kids.

"It won't be easy you know." I told him. "We'll be the beginners here. Anyone who's been here longer won't be too kind about it."

"We'll work together." Sakura stated simply. "We'll use trial and error until we get it all right. When we do, we'll try to find ways to keep improving."

I couldn't help but smile at continued to talk about various things like where we would live, the food, and of course the possibility of a new life.

I'm sure a lot of you guys are now wondering what I'm blabbering on about. Well, my name is Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha I am the youngest of two boys from a little island with no name. That little island is my home. A couple hundred people live there at most but that was tiny compared to the main lands that had millions upon millions of people there. It was once a prosperous place back in the days of my great grand parents but the tiny island couldn't keep up with the changing times and soon lost its prosperity. People were starving and dreamed of the Konoha. A place that was described to be paradise for those seeking a new start.

To a kid like me with nothing.. Well. You can see why I wanted to leave home so badly. I'm not the kind of person who would just go to some foreign place just because of some fantasy dream. I researched the place a little and found out how the most powerful of people made their living. They lived off of something called chest arena. It was a kind of a gladiator arena that people fought in for loot and such. The arena itself didn't pay much but it was these fighting skills that allowed them to have the best jobs in Konoha. Armorer, enchanter, and even soldier.

The people who fought weren't strong behemoths or steroid junkies. They were smart fighters that used what was allowed in the arena to help them win. I wanted to be like them. I wanted to use my knowledge to learn the best of techniques.

Naruto and Sakura were my childhood friends. They have been a big influence on me so I had to tell them about my plan to leave our home. They had the same dream but no idea how to accomplish it. Then there was my brother who was there for all three of us. He helped us when we needed it and steered us the right direction when we were wrong.

That place called Konoha was where we were currently docking. Walking out now I was slightly nervous. This place wasn' extremely strict but foreign diseases, illegal weapons or substances, or dangerous chemicals would deny you the privilege of going into to Konoha.

I was lead away from my friends and sent through secruity. My luggage was checked once, twice, three.. Four times in total. That was a little much wasn't it? The physical was normal for a while. They checked my heartbeat, my blood, and a couple of other things. When I thought I was done the doctor asked me a question I didn't expect.

"Where are you from?" He asked. "If you are not from a specific country than please state what island you are from."

"Since when is something like this part of a medical exam?" I asked.

"Please answer the question" He stated in a montone.

"I from one of the neutral islands." I told him. "There's no name for where I lived or any of the neighboring islands."

He then started checking for something in my eyes. I panicked a little because I had never heard of any strange diseases from my home but what about the other islands? It's possible for diseases to transfer over right? He wrote something down and told me to go back and get ready to get a citizenship card. I sighed a little now that I knew nothing was wrong with me but what about Sakura and Naruto? Going toward the line I was directed towards I didn't see them. Sitting or waiting for a doctor. Maybe they were ahead of me?\

I tried to look ahead but only saw my brother far ahead... Oh geeze.. How could forget about my brother? Man...

The line was long and boring. I could only occupy myself with my thoughts. I know the road to a decent life would not be easy. I would have to work hard... I wonder if I would have to work harder then I did back at home? Would I have to sacrifice meals, sleep, even a bed to achieve my goal? Will it take months? Years? I wonder. As I got lost in thought I was pushed along in the line and soon I was taking a picture for my citizenship card.

I didn't really smile since that wasn't something a I did a lot anyway. I just looked at the camera with my blank expression. I waited for the card to be made and soon enough I had it in my hands. I walked back to the waiting room and saw my brother. He waved me over to him. I walked up to him but still no sign of Naruto or Sakura.

"Where are the other two brother?" I asked.

"They were a bit further behind you I believe." He told me. "They'll be coming out with their cards and then we can find a place to stay until we can find a proper home."

I smiled at what he told me. I didn't let him or anyone see the smile. I waited patiently for both of them to appear. Sakura came out first with a smile holding her card in front of her. She was definitely happy. You could see her joy in her picture. Not long after Naruto appeared. He was as hyper as ever and practically ran towards us.

"Looks like we all got through." He said loudly with a goofy smile. "So what now?"

"We find a place to stay." I told him. "Then we begin the first steps towards our dreams."

We walked out of customs and the security gate proudly. We had passed the first and possibly easiest obstacle that stood before us here at Konoha. Who knew what awaited us as we walked out of that gate. We know starting from scratch is never easy. Hopefully things won't be too hard. Kami knows how many hardships we had faced. Loss of loved ones, poverty, starvation, dehydration, and few others I'd rather not recall.

We all walked out onto the streets and began walking along the sidewalk. Some people were wearing their armor as they walked passed us. I had seen normal leather, chainmail, and even iron armor. I had never once seen armor made of gold or diamonds before. Some were in serious need of repair, others dented but there a few people who stood out to me. Their armor looked like it didn't even have a scratch on it. How is that even possible.

"It's rude to stare Sasuke." My brother said queitly. "Let's keep walking."

I listened to my brother but noticed that the man I had been staring at noticed me. He gave me a curious look as I turned to look at the road in front of me. I wonder if it meant I was in some serious trouble or not.

After about 30 mins of walking we found a nice looking hotel. It wasn't too much to money. 50 gold coins per week per room wasn't bad. Especially since one room was more than enough for us. We started putting away my clothes and supplies. Konoha didn't allow the entry of foreign weapons but if you went through the right procedures you could get a normal weapon inside. I had brought with me an heirloom my father had given me.

It was the Sword of Kusunagi. He used to tell Itachi and me that in the hands of a great warrior it's cutting power and range can be increased. He had given my brother a differnet sword. The Sword of Totsuka. It was a blade supposidly capable of sealing one's power. It took a strong minded warrior to activate that sword and a strong mind to use that special power. A final heirloom we had that had not been given to either of us was the Yata Mirror. It was our mother's. She had planned to have a daughter and give the mirror to her but never got that chance. The mirror was in my suitcase. I looked at it for a second and thought of my mother, my father. The sister I was supposed to have but never got.

"Put that mirror with the swords Sasuke." Itachi instructed me. "The three were meant to be together."

I nodded and placed my sword on top of Itachi's. The swords were defintely different in the styles and an sheath colors but at same time looked like they belonged with each other. I placed the mirror on top of it's stand.

"That's your mother's mirror right Sasuke?" I heard Sakura asked. "It looks pretty."

"Woah." Naruto said as he looked at the swords and mirror. "So was this all that you and Itachi were fighting to bring here back on the island's security?"

"Yeah." I simply told them.

"Their family treasures." Itachi stated. " We couldn't leave them behind"

I smiled a little when I saw them staring at the heirlooms. The three items were nice to look at and were a reminder of home for Itachi and I. Sakura and Naruto had seen these objects in the living room on my home. I don't think they ever really knew what they were. Maybe one day I should tell them.

"So now that we're settled in for now who wants food?" Itachi asked. "There were a couple of shops and restaurants near this place."

"Let's go to that ramen shop we passed!" Naruto practically yelled. "I've heard that it sells the best Ramen."

"I don't see a problem with it." I said an Sakura agreed.

We grabbed some of our money and made our way out. Mom. Dad. Please don't worry about me and brother. We'll look out for each other. Please just rest. You deserve that much at least. I thought to myself as we walked outside.

**A/N: Thank you for taking the time to read this story. A review on what you think of it, what needs to be worked on, and other things would b greatly appreciated. Hope to see you in the next chapter.**


	2. First Day, First Jobs Pt 1

**A/N: Well I got some peope following my story which is pretty cool. Anyway, I'd like to remind you guys that this a story about a minecraft server I play on and that most of these events are some of my most memorable events from the server. Hope you enjoy the second chapter.**

The objective for the second day at konoha was to go out and get jobs. We had enough money to go on for at most 3 weeks with no other income. That wasn't a lot of time. So we needed a reliable source of income. Naruto and I immediately wanted to go out and become soldiers. Sakura was too young to be a doctor or nurse still and also needed to know some basic healing magic as well. She was strong though and decided to help with building some of the new buildings that were under contruction. Itachi went out to become an armorer's apprentice.

Itachi and Sakura weren't pleased with the job Naurto and I had chosen. Now in Konoha being a soldier isn't what yout think it is. It's not signing up for the military. Okay it is but we technically are only a part of the reserves. What the soldier job really meant was going out of the main cities to take care of some of the more hostile creatures of the world. Demons once controlled the land supposedly as the gods first placed animals. These animals were then mutated or changed in one way pr another by these demons. The gods tried to cleanse the world before they let humans walk the land. Even then some things had escaped their cleansing and with humans on the land they couldn't do it again. They were left to fend for themselves. Hundreds, thousands of years after this story originated and you're back here with me and Naruto.

Both getting basic weapons and armor. These were the only things provided to us. We were informed that if we wanted a better weapon or better armor then we would have to buy it ourselves. They told us where the hotspots were around this city in particular were and sent us out. And the second we stepped inside the hotel room with military tags and iron swords, Itachi and Sakura freaked out.

Sakura pretty muched lectured Naruto while itachi simply told me that now he would have to worry about me and Naruto getting injured and medical bills and so on so of course didn't know what to say so I spoke for the both of us. I told them that at least like this we would be able to afford a proper home soon and get us more money this way. I won the argument for now but that didn't really mean they were happy about it.

"In the end you know I am right." I told Itachi. "I never even tried to hide the fact that I wanted to be a soldier."

"I was hoping you would still choose something safer first." He told me calmly, a slight undertone of anger.

"Like what? Flower picker?"

"I don't know. Miner? Digger? Farmer?"

"Miner is a dangerous job with crappy pay. Digger sucks. And farmer? Really?"

I don't think my brother wanted to continue the argument cause he just gazed at the swords.

"At least you and Naruto will come to me to get your armored fixed right?" he asked.

"Of course. And we will pay." I told him.

"I never said I would do it for free." He said with a smile.

"Hn." was my only response.

I got up and kneeled in front of the swords and the mirror. I looked at my reflection. This mirror was supposed to tell the truth but only my mother was able to use it. She said only a beautiful maiden can use the mirror. Perhaps that's why the mirror didn't show me anything?

"Brother?" I asked. "What will we do with this mirror anyway?"

"I'm not sure myself Sasuke." He told me. "It was supposed to go to our little sister if we ever had one."

"Mother never gave this to either of us." I told him. "She's not around anymore. So any ideas?"

"Well I would guess that if she had a third son rather than a daughter she would simply say to give it to her first granddaughter. Or maybe first daughter in law? I can't be sure of that myself."

"I think first granddaughter sounds more fitting. It is supposed to stay within the family after all."

He only nodded.

"I have to head out to work now." Itachi told me. "Sensei only sent me home so I can change into proper attire."  
As he said that I took a look at what Itachi was wearing. He was wearing clothes he normally used for manual labor jobs back home. His jeans were stained with oil and dirt but still looked somewhat new despite the use. His shirt was just a plain gray color but it was meant to be worn for things like digging in dirt.

"You and Naruto should get to work to." He told me as he headed for the door. "Just watch out for each other's backs."

"Okay brother." I told him. "Don't strain yourself."

He chuckled a little before leaving.

"Naruto." I said. "Ready to head out?"

"Of course." He said with a confident grin. "We can head over to the crypts first."

"I swear if either of you come back injured I'll kill you." Sakura threatened playfully as we left.

The closest area was actually the city crypts and sewers. The strange creatures that normally roamed the wilds were normally seemed to crawl in these places. We were told that the crypts was the best place to start off working.

"What do you think we'll find in the crypts?" Naruto asked as we made our way there.

"I'm not sure." I told him honestly. "Most of these creatures are attracted to dark and damp places so the sewers and crypts sound about right. I wonder how they got in there though. I don't see anyplace for those things to get through."

"So you got no actual idea do you?" Naruto asked mockingly.

"There might be ghouls, mutated rats, and maybe a zombie." I told him jokingly. "Oh. There might even be an actual demon there just waiting for us to destroy."

Naruto laughed at my idea of a joke but in all seriousness, everything besides the zombie was likely to be in the crypts. This is a result of how the Gods were unable to completely cleanse the world. Even the human race eventually became tainted. I guess that's why fighting each other or fighting monsters are the easiest ways to make money if you're smart about it.

As we walked down the road the bright new looking buildings soon started becoming duller and older. Their age showed in the cracks and boarded up windows. Well doesn't this just shatter the dream of a Konoha a little?

I saw other people walking toward a certain stone brick building. Some had simple armor like Naruto and I did except their's had been modified, repaired, or nearly wrecked. Others had armor that looked newer, more durable, and probably protected them better.

"This is probably the place Naruto." I told him.

"Yeah." He said in a slightly grim tone.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

"Of course."

We walked into the building and saw a few medics on standby. Some were handing out some medicine.

"Everyone entering the crypts must take some bandages and salves." One of them stated. "It is for your safety."

Upon hearing that I went right toward them. I doubted a few bandages and salves would do much in the heat of battle but it was something. They gave us each 2 rolls of gauze and body tape. And a small container of some salve. They were even kind enough to give us each a utility belt to keep these items with us at all times.

Now it was time to enter the crypt. I looked to the sky one last time before I entered the door with Naruto. Please, don't worry about me so much. I'll come back to brother and Sakura safe and sound with Naruto. With that as my final thought I opened one of the doors that lead into the crypt and walked after Naruto. The sound of the door closing was loud and deafening.

The place wasn't very well lit. In fact I could barely see a thing in here. The only light sources were a few torches with dying fires. I could hear the sounds of the other soldiers hard at work slashing and hacking at whatever was in here. I even heard the panicked cries a few of the newbies.

"Sounds like you were right about the rats and ghouls." Naruto said. "I can hear the skittering sounds of the rats and the moans of the ghouls."

"Let's get to work then Naruto." I said.

Before us was a flight of stairs that spiraled deep into the ground. Great, it was probably going to be darker down there. The stairs were a bit awkward since it was easy to slip on nothing in particular in this darkness. I wonder if anyone every broke theur leg or something on these things?

If felt like we had been walking down the stores forever when we finally reached the bottom. What I saw both amazed and frightened me. The hallway before us was huge. The walls were lined with coffins and were about 5 meters (a little over 16 ft) high with a bit of an archway. It made this place look huge.

"A giant could live here." Naruto mutterd.

"Doubt it" I told him. "Let's get going."

I grabbed one of the torches, I doubt they would mind, and began walking down the hallway. My hand ready to draw my sword.

The sound of skittering feet alerted me to a nearby rat. I heard Naruto panic when he saw it. That thing was the size of small dog. I didn't hesitate to kill it when it tried to come closer.

"If all you're going to do is panic then you hold the damn torch." I told Naruto as I handed him the torch.

He looked a bit upset by what I said but the last thing I need to worry about is a torch when I'm trying to kill something.

The sounds of haunted moans seemed to echo from this place. All I could think of were ghouls. I took the lead down this crypt that seemed to resemble a maze. It was easy to get lost down here. I didn't see any of the ghouls until we found a strange room covered by iron bars. Most of this place was falling apart and just looked old. The iron bars here looked pretty new. That's kind of odd isn't it?

"What's with the iron bars?" Naruto asked.

"I would guess it's to keep the ghouls from coming out." I told him. "There was something similar back home near the graveyard."

"Doesn't look like there's a way in."

"yeah but you can here the sound of the ghouls getting slaughtered right?"

"Of course I do."  
"That means there's a way around these bars."

I looked around in the darkness and saw a stairway hidden away in a corner. Could that stairway go around these bars?

"Follow me." I told Naruto.

Going up the stairs I saw that this was a somewhat newly built area as well. Not as new as those bars but definetly newer than most of this place. The area to the left oversaw some room full of more coffins. Nothing new there. Going down the left hallway was where we saw a few more iron bars here and there but they were broken. At the end of this hallway there was a small opening with a ladder. To the left was another hallway. Since the action was coming from below us we climbed down the ladder. Following a series of doorways and hallways lead us to a room full of corpses and ghouls. There was a huge hole in the wall as well.

What the fuck!? That hole looked like it was a fucking tunnel. Is that how these things got into this place? In the darkness of that tunnel I saw a pair of snake eyes that terrified and thrilled me. Is this the effect of adrenaline?

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled at me.

"Huh?" I asked as I was jerked out of my thoughts.

"Those things look tougher than anything from home." Naruto told me. "Look at the people fighting."

I took a look at who was fighting. I only saw soldiers in modified, or new armor here. These guys had been doing this kind of thing for a while no doubt. I took a look at the ghouls. These things were obviously not human yet resembled a human perfectly. They would be ghosts if they were transparent and floating. I looked back at the tunnel. The snake eyes I had seen were gone.

"Well Sasuke." Naruto said confidently. "Time to prove our worth as soldiers."  
"Right." I told him as he dropped the torch. "We look out for each other got it?"  
"Duh teme."

I smiled for a second before I charged in with him. Both of our iron swords seemed to shine a little in the dim light as we raised them for the first strike. The body of these things weren't as solid as I thought they would be but it still took about two swings of the swords to get them to die. We heard a sound of surprise come from the vetern soldiers but we paid them no mind. We concentrated on what was attacking us and on each other. Constantly looking out for each other kept us from getting hurt. I saved Naruto from a ghoul's harsh bite. Naruto sliced off the arms of one that tried to grab me.

Even though we looked out for each other, even though we had done similar things with practice swords, we were still a bit clumsy in our actions. The aim would be off, the swing to wide, the stance wasn't quite right. Because Naruto and I had chosen to stay close we gave each other a few cuts here and there but nothing more serious than a few scratches.

We did have decent stamina compared to others since we just kept fighting and fighting. After what couldn't have been long the last ghoul was killed and we watched as the body began to fade away with a hissing noise.

I heard Naruto sit on the floor and pull out some of the gauze and body tape. Looking at my own cuts I did the same. Applying ointment on the cuts before covering them up, and using the body tape to keep the gauze in place.

"Hey teme?" Naruto asked.

"What you dobe?" I asked him.

"How pissed do you think Sakura will be when she sees the bandages?"

"She said she would kill us." I reminded him. "Make your will Naruto."

The both of us laughed a little but I noticed a few of the other soldiers watching us. They looked at our armor. The cuts we had given each other. How none of our injuries came from those ghouls. How we weren't as exhausted as them. Most of them continued to stare at us. Oh well. If they wanted to say something then they could just quit and say it already.

We followed the vets out of the crypt and i started keeping an eye out for somethings I can use as landmarks in here from now on. Once outside my worst fear was Sakura's wrath. Oh boy...

**A/N: Well it looks like our boys made through their first adventure better than I did. xD Anyway, I hope the chapter came out fine and if you have any opinion or see something you like/dislike let me know in a review. I appreciate the help. I should probably mention I don't own Naruto but I think you all knew that by now. :P**


	3. First Day, First Job Pt 2

**A/N: Based off my minecraft adventures, I do not own Naruto, um... Oh yeah. There will be pairings at some point. No idea when. xD Enjoy the story guys.**

"Really?!" She half asked, half yelled. "These cuts aren't even from the monsters you fought but EACH OTHER!?"

"We were in really close quarters." I explained to her. "Plus we wanted to stay away from the other soldiers. They might have been Veterans from the look of their gear. They were surprised to see us there. We didn't want to start any problems so we kind of stayed closer to each other."

"Wait until Itachi sees you two." Sakura said with concern. "This is why he wanted you guys to do something safer."

"Yeah like going into the mines with low amounts of oxygen and explosives is SO much safer than being a soldier."

"Some of the bakers were hiring people." Sakura muttered.

For a second the image of of me and Naruto in pink aprons baking cookies popped in my head. Yeah... Never going to happen... EVER.

"Ha!" Naruto laughed. "Imagine teme over here in a pink apron covered in flour, smiling, running up to Itachi with a tray full of cookies"

That.. That was a worse image.

"Wait." I looked at Naruto. "What the hell possessed you to place Itachi in that picture!?"

"Simple, I can easily see you saying 'Look what I made for you brother.'" He said to me.

"Naruto."

"What?"

"You are an asshole."

He burst into laughter after I said that. I punched him lightly in the arm and he just continued to laugh. I felt a little sore but I really hope I didn't overwork myself too much. The last thing I need is delayed muscle soreness. I laid down on the bed I currently shared with my brother. Don't get any ideas. It was either sleeping in the same bed as my brother or the dobe. And Naruto tends to move a lot so the last thing I needed was an awkward wake up call.

Naruto laid down on the couch bed. The idiot seemed full of energy earlier. He must have been hiding his fatigue. It wasn't so late. Naruto and I had left a little before noon. It was now about 3pm.

"Well I gotta get back to work now." Sakura told us."You two should save your money for batter armor. It would help me worry less."

I watched as she left. She had a worried smile on her face. I wonder when Itachi will come home. He left a little after Naruto and I did. Maybe he would come home with Sakura? I don't know.

"You know that was only one section of the crypts." Naruto said to me. "We will have to go back at some point."

" I know." I told him. "We can eat a little while we rest. Then head back out."

"Ramen?"

"Naruto."

"What?"

"No."

He seemed upset by my flat out no. Then again I didn't care that much. I wanted something other than ramen to eat. It was pretty good but everyday? No thank you. I went to rummage through the grocery bags Itachi had gotten. I found some canned food. It wasn't the best but I really don't want to eat ramen. It was just so unhealthy.

"Are we really going to eat canned food?" Naruto asked, as he rummaged in the bag. "Score! Ramen!"

I looked at him and saw a microwaveable cup of ramen. I guess Itachi knew Naruto well. Looking through the bag again I saw nothing else really appetizing. Some canned fruits, beans, and other food. A bag with a few tomatoes obviously meant for me. I grabbed one and a can of food. The tomato was a nice treat for me and the canned food was decent at least. Looking at the clock I saw that it was about a quarter to four. Better head out soon. Looks like we'll have to eat on our way to the crypts.

"Naruto." I said. "We gotta head back to the crypts."  
"I know." he said. "Think this will help us in the arena?"

"Maybe." i responded. "For now let's go."

I wonder what my brother was doing at this very moment? I wonder if he's worried about me. These thoughts went through my mind as we walked to crypts.

*Narrator*

As the two new soldiers walked down the street that lead to the crypts a silent older boy who had already become young man watched them walk away as he worked. His hair color more reminiscent of a crow and similar to the raven haired boy that walked with the blonde. He looked worried as he pounded the metal with his hammer.

*Itachi*

I could hear Naruto's voice all the way from the hotel as he walked. It was kind of amusing. He was a polar opposite to my younger brother to a certain extent. From the window of the armory I could see them both in their armor walking by. I don't intend for them to fight alone but someone needs to learn how to repair what they break when they go out into battle.

They'll only be doing some simple pest control anyway right? I don't think I have to worry too much about those two for now.

"Itachi." My mentor said, catching my attention.

"Yes sir?" I asked him.

"You need to focus on your work." he told me sternly. "If you don't then you might botch the job. If you ever want to learn the art of arcane forging then you need to stay focused."

"Sorry Kakashi sir." I said respectfully. "I won't let it happen again."

He went back to work on the armor a customer recently brought in. Kakashi was a quiet man most of the time. He had silvery hair that tended to spike up to his left. He also covered his left eye with bandages. He was a decent enough teacher and one of the best armorers in Konoha. His only drawback was that when he wasn't busy he tended to get lost in thought as he read that perverted book of his. I guess everyone has their flaws.

Focusing on my job was extremely crucial. If I messed up a repair it would come out of my pocket. The smallest of weaknesses in a piece of armor or part of a sword could cause it to break and possibly injure the user. In a sense it would be like sending someone out to their death. I didn't want to think about someone messing up the armor that Naruto and Sasuke wore. I didn't want to imagine what would happen. I instead chose to concentrate on the sword I was fixing up.

It was a normal iron sword and therefore fit for me to practice on. The heat required to keep it a bright orange was a bit unbearable at first but it can be dealt with after some time. Being precise was also another pre-requisite. Can't have someone with shaking hands do this kind of job because accuracy was a key thing. If a strike was off then the blade of the sword might warp a bit or a piece of armor may have a strange dent in it. These could hinder a fighter and could even be the reason one would die.

A gruesome image of seeing Sasuke and Naruto falling in battle flashed in my mind. A piece of their armor was broken and their swords had been sliced in half. I shook the image from mu mind. I wanted to be able to prevent that. Their current armor had no magic used on it so arcane forging wasn't immediately necessary just yet. Sure with time we would all need to start using armor and weapons laced with magic. That kind of armor would offer better protection but it would be harder to repair. The reason because perfection was necessary. Rumor has it that even the best of armorers could never guarantee that the magics would be saved.

That's where the skill arcane forging came in. It's the ability to manipulate magic as you repair a weapon or a piece of armor. As you pound on the metal you have to concentrate with the magic reserves of your own body. You have to in a sense, try to keep the magic from warping or escaping from the weapon or armor. It takes a strong mind in order to do this.

Looking at the sword I was working on I wasn't doing too bad. I took it off the anvil and dipped it into the water on my right. The steam and hissing noise alerted Kakashi that I had finished fixing it.

When he was close I gave it to him so that he could inspect my work. His uncovered eye inspected every inch of the blade as he looked for any flaws that could be dangerous for whoever tried to use it.

"It's been repaired very well." Kakashi said casually. "You have a natural ability Itachi. I hope you don't waste it."

I wonder if his previous students had "wasted" their talents in the past. It was an odd comment.

"Since you did well with the sword let's see how you work with Armor." He stated, as walked back to the armor he was working on.

He began working the metal and manipulating it back to it's form. Adding a strip of metal here and there so that the armor wouldn't be stretched thin by the repair. Unlike with a sword I noticed he had to keep the shape somewhat rounded at certain points so that it wouldn't be flat. From the shape and engraving on the armor I had to to guess that it was custom made.

It was also laced in magic and it was amazing watching the metal glow as it was repaired. At some points its light blue glow would turn an angry red color but Kakashi had great control over his own magic. This was the skill known as arcane forging. The ability or skill to repair magic laced armor or weapons. I'd never once really seen it done.

"You look like a wide eyed child." Kakashi comment as he continued his work."With time you should be able to do this and even pass on this skill to an apprentice of your own."

"How can you speak and still maintain such control over the magic?" I asked, shocked that he had spoken at all.

"I'm not the kind of person to get distracted easily." He told me. "Besides, talking to someone as I work gives me a second to relax without loosening my control."

That makes sense I guess. Still, I could see him strain a bit as the metal glowed red again. Once he was done he inspected the armor.

"Do you see this marking Itachi?" He asked me.

Looking at what he was pointing at it looked like some strange engraving.

"It's a symbol left by the magics" He explained. "This one means this armor will offer more general protection to the wearer. There are about ten levels to every form of magic used on weapons and armor. By normal means, it's only possible to go up to level 4. In some cases 5. The higher the magic level, the harder it is to keep as you repair."

I only nodded my understanding.

"You still have a long way to go before you can even practice arcane forging." He stated. "However, it is a good idea for you to watch other arcane forge. You might learn or see something that will help you learn"  
Again I only nodded.

He walked around the back and pulled up some older pieces of iron armor that looked like they had seen better days. He also brought some old iron swords.

"I want all of these repaired by the end of the week." He explained to me. "If you get stuck on one of the repairs then don't be afraid to ask for some guidance."

Someone walked into the store then. Kakashi walked toward the front to deal with the customer. I went over to the furnace and anvil and began working on the swords first since they ere easier.

*Narrator*

The sound of the banging metal began to fade away when leaving the business corner of the town. Walking down through the main plaza and heading towards the newer construction zone a girl with light pink hair and green eyes was working hard by heavy lifting. She was dressed in the same attire as most of the young and older men on the sight but she carried more weight than most of them. Every once in a while she would talk with the young Architect.

*Sakura*

I wasn't expecting the lifting to be too hard but I never once thought it would be this easy. I was easily carrying more weight than most of the guys here, who eyed me with a mixture of envy and something else I couldn't quite place. Ignoring them and doing my share of the work was what I decided to do for the most part.

Yeah, I had chosen to take the manual labor job. This town didn't want normal doctors or nurses. They wanted mages to be medics. The reason was so that they could heal people in the hospital quicker. I wasn't sure how I felt about the idea but I would have to learn magic if I wanted to become a doctor here. Until then I guess I'll be helping put together some of the lovely buildings here in Konoha.

A plus side to this was that the architect in charge of this current building was very nice. During my break he had been nice enough to show me some of the blueprints for this building. The design was pretty nice but I couldn't but think that it was going to take a lot of work to make it look that nice.

The architect in charge of this building was a quiet and somewhat odd guy named Sai. His smiles never really reached his eyes but they kind of glowed a little when he talked about the plans he drew himself. He even hinted at doing a couple of ink paintings in his spare time.

Hearing the sound of the foreman blowing the whistle signified that the work day was over. Putting away the lumber I had been holding I looked at the sky. It would soon be turning a brilliant orange color.

"Sakura." I heard Sai say as I placed the lumber down. "Would you allow me to walk you home?"

"That's sweet Sai but I think I can make it back to the hotel on my own." I told him.

"Oh, I was just hoping to talk with you a bit more." He said formerly."Most people don't like to talk to me."

"If that's the case then why not." I said with a smile, I'd feel bad if I said no to him now.

We simply talked about the other building he wanted to see get built but wasn't sure if he was satisfied with how they looked. He was hoping someone (me) would maybe help him out of his slump. I couldn't say no to the guy. He looked really distraught when he mentioned that the buildings he had drawn out still looked off. His smile almost looked genuine when I told him I would help him out after the current building was finished. With how many people were working on the building it wouldn't take too long.

Once we were in front of the hotel he simply said goodbye and waited for me to be inside before he left. He was a nice guy.

Not wanting to go up the stairs, I took the elevator to the third floor where our room was. There were three keys to this room. Itachi, Sasuke, and I carried the keys. Naruto had a bad habit of losing small items so we didn't let him have a key. Opening the door I saw the three boys already inside relaxing. It looked like they ordered some take out for dinner but haven't touched it yet.

"Welcome home Sakura." Itachi said.

"Sakura you're finally back!" Naruto said as Sasuke simply waved and smiled a little.

"We ordered dinner but didn't want to start without you." Itachi stated.

I couldn't help but smile a little. Despite not being related to any of these guys they were like a real family to me. Itachi was almost a fatherly figure or older brother to me sometimes. Well he was the oldest so I guess it's expected. Sasuke and Naruto always had my back though, like brothers. Whenever there was danger they ran to look and see if I was ok. IF there was an adventure to have they made sure to grab me so I could tag along for the ride.

Sitting at the small table that was barely big enough for four we gathered around the food. We each had our chopsticks in our hands but we held them as if we were praying. Back home a proper meal was a rare thing because of how hard it was to find work and therefor hard to even get any food. It was our way of saying thank you to whatever deity or ancestor we believed to be watching over us.

We grabbed what we each wanted and began to eat. I looked at Naruto and Sasuke as they ate. They didn't appear to have any new bandages and Itachi looked fine as well. My family was safe I thought with a smile. I know this kind of safety won't last long. We all intended to enter the arena at one point. That meant increasing our income but also increasing the risk of one of us getting hurt.

The thought of seeing them hurt scared me but I also knew it took a lot to even get these guys a scratch most of the time. I'm sure they worry a lot more about me. I want to be able to have their backs though.

**A/N: And that's this chapter. Sorry if it's a little boring but I wanted to give you an idea of Sakura and Itachi would be doing before they join up with Sasuke and Naruto. Things will pick up the pace next chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Leave a review if you liked/disliked about this chapter. **


	4. Back To The Cypts

**A/N: I don't own Naruto. This chapter is based off the very first time I started to PvE on my favorite minecraft server. It's gonna be a bit hectic. lol. Um... Yeah go ahead and read. I'm done blabbing for now. **

*Narrator*

The four new comers slept the night away along with the rest of the residents. The sounds of shrieks from some unearthly creatures could be heard with the howls of wolves. Even so these unearthly creatures noticed nothing. Beneath the crypts in the deepest chambers the moans of what sounded like three men could be heard. The sounds of a pounding sound was heard from 3 coffins in the deepest area of the crypts and mixed in with the low moans of the rest of the dead that had been resting until now.

Something was waking up. Something that was not meant to be alive.

*Sasuke*

"Come on Sakura." I heard Naruto plead. "You don't belong with those guys constructing that building. You can come with me and teme. You're strong enough to handle it."

"I can't just quit Naruto." Sakura said. "I can't switch jobs until this building is complete and it's not that bad."

"Sasuke you say something." Naruto said.

I looked over at them. Naruto didn't like the idea of Sakura doing manual labor like that and wanted her to come with us.

"What do you expect me to say Naruto?" I asked him. "She's made up her mind. If she's happy working in the sun all day then let her be. Besides, do you really want her to come with us into the City's crypts?"

"Itachi you can't really approve of this right?" Naruto asked.

"While I don't like the idea of Sakura working on carpentry when I know she would be a good doctor or nurse there's not much we can do about it at the moment." He explained. "The doctors and nurses have to have a basic knowledge of healing spells here. Until we can get our hands on some tomes and possibly a teacher we won't be changing that. I also believe Sakura is old enough to think for herself Naruto."

"While we're on this subject I don't like the idea of you two going out there risking your safety for money." Sakura told Naruto. "Soldiers are the ones who are constantly going to the hospital for huge injuries. Do you know how much it sucks and worries me knowing that's what you and Sasuke are doing? You two could be the next ones on their way to the hospital with a fatal injury."

Silence. Her words caused Naruto's eyes to widen in shock. Of course the moron didn't think she would bring that up. It's why I didn't say anything. I know Itachi sided with her on this matter to.

"Look Sakura. Itachi." I sad breaking the silence. "I know neither of you like this idea. Naruto and I always got ourselves into trouble back home which is why you worry. But, you should remember that as long as we were together the danger was less real. We watched out for each other and that's what we plan to do now."

"Maybe we should just drop the subject for now." Itachi said calmly. "We each chose a job we could do to raise money so we wouldn't have to stay in this hotel too long. Once we get a proper home then we can discuss this further but for now let's just concentrate on that home."

Sakura nodded her head. Naruto grudgingly agreed. I gave a swift nod as Itachi smiled a little.

"Good, then I can head off to work without worrying about you three." Itachi said jokingly. "I swear I'm slowly becoming the father of three."

"Papa Ita," I said jokingly. "will you read us a story before you go to work?"

"Sasuke, shut up." Itachi said with a laugh as he closed the door.

Naruto laughed a bit too loud for my liking while Sakura giggled. Itachi did kind of become my father figure after we were orphaned but I still thought of him as my brother. Not someone to spoil me but someone to help me grow up straight and strong and teach me so that I could help him as I grew older.

"Sakura." I began.

"Sasuke, I thought we were going to drop the subject." Sakura said as she heard the tone of my voice.

"I'm not going to persuade you on anything." I told her. "I just wanted to tell you that there are field medics for the soldiers. They even go into those monster infested areas with the soldiers to provide help should the situation arise. We're safe for the most part. If you do become a doctor though. Well then maybe you can go in with us and keep an eye on us yourself."

She thought about what I said. As much as I didn't like the idea of having Sakura near those monsters I know it would ease her worrying if she was there to bandage us up whenever Naruto or I got into trouble.

"Itachi himself said that we need to get our hands on a tome and a teacher before we can even learn magic." Sakura said somewhat annoyed.

"Then we can find or buy one." I told her. "Some of the spell tomes aren't that much and available in the market place."

"We need to focus on getting a home Sasuke." She said disapprovingly.

"I know." I told her as I began to put on my armor.

Itachi always left earliest. He would also be the first to come home. Naruto and I would leave next. That would be normal for us now. I don't know if we'll always be coming back at the same time. I guess it would depend on how long it took us to clear out the monsters. Sakura for the most part seemed to come home last. She came home last night as the sun was starting to set. She mentioned someone had been nice enough to walk her home.

The sound of an alarm sounding startled me. It sounded like the evacuation alarm from back home. That same alarm that sounded before I became orphaned.

"All soldiers please head to Konoha's Crypts." The voice of an old man stated. "All medical personal are to head to the Crypts as well. Any spare armorers are to head to Crypt. Builders, you will be needed as well. All other civilians are to to head to their homes immediately. This is not an emergency."

The alarms continued to sound.I looked out the window and saw Soldiers rushing as theu put on their armor while running. I saw some people holding tools for repair. The doctors and nurses were rushing with medical kits in tow. Then there were the builders rushing in with their tools as well. What was the point of calling them in?

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled at me.

"Hn?" I responded as I turned to face him.

"We gotta go."

"I know."

I looked at the Sword of Kusunagi. It was meant to be my blade. Father told me I could use how I saw fit. Deciding now was the best time, I grabbed it along with my standard iron blade.

"I'm coming with you guys." Sakura said.

"I know." I told her.

The streets weren't as chaotic as I thought they would be. I guess no one had really left their homes yet anyway. We were rushing down the sidewalk with soldiers, medics, a few armorers, and the builders. I wonder what could have happened in the crypts that caused this? Everyone was reacting differently as we walked. The soldiers were all generally tense, probably wondering why so many of us had been called in. The doctors and nurses that I refer to medics were more calm. They were containing their emotions, most likely so they could focus on their task at hand. The few armorers that were among the crowd seemed a little laid back but their hands shook a little. Then there were the builders. They had a grim look on their faces as they walked. What was up with them?

Ignoring that, I laid my hand on the hilt of the Kusunagi sword. I was hoping that whatever happened this sword would protect me if I had to use it. Upon arriving everyone began to split up. Naruto and I followed the soldiers and I saw Sakura follow the other builders. What the hell was going on?

We waited as a fewer and fewer people began to arrive. I looked among the soldiers and saw that there weren't as many as I thought. Some people might have quit after yesterday but even so there should be more shouldn't there? Then I had to remind myself that this was just one of many cities. These are just the locals...

Soon people stopped coming in. What was going on.

"Eyes up front!" A man with some scars on his face yelled. "I'm sure most of you here are confused. Well let me clear some things up."

Now I remember this guy. He was there when Naruto and I first signed up. His name was Ibiki Morino. I guess he was the one in charge.

"Something wrong has occurred in the Crypts of Konoha." Ibiki stated. "The monsters in there are getting even more out of control than normal. You will be put into squads of four based on your performance as soldiers. When I call out your name, get up here. Once your squad has been put together head inside to your designated area of the crypts."

He began calling out names and I couldn't help but get a sinking feeling as I saw soldier after soldier get picked and then rush into the crypts. I saw a few medics go in after the soldiers. At least they would have back up.

"Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Neji Hyuga, TenTen." I heard Ibiki bark out.

Naruto and I made our way to the front along with the other two. Once the four of us met we were given a scroll with our assignment and a radio before we rushed through the doors like everyone else. The door closing behind us left us in near darkness. I could hear the other two walking ahead of us.

"So where are we supposed to go?" I asked as we followed the other two in the dark.

"We're to head toward the inner chambers." Neji said, since he was the only other guy here I assumed it was him.

"That must mean you two did something no other rookie would dare." TenTen, the only girl in our group, stated.

That made me falter in my step for a second but I recollected myself as I followed them.

"So you two were the rookies who made their way to the inner chambers of the crypt on their first run and didn't run out screaming when they saw the ghouls." Neji stated.

"To be fair we had similar infestations back home." Naruto said a little too loudly. "They normally came from the graveyards back home."

"Well the ghouls we get from these crypt might come out in armor sometimes." Neji said as we walked. "Many people call this place their resting place. Civilian, Warriors, and even our leaders are buried here."

More silence followed as we walked. I noticed there weren't even any rats coming near us. That was odd.

"So any idea why they called in the builders?" I asked.

"Probably to close this place off." Neji stated somewhat bluntly. "If the infestation is bad then they'll seal off this place until they can get more people to come in."

"Should I assume some of us might get locked in here to die as well?"

"That is a high possibility since we'll be deep in the crypts and have a harder time getting out."

That explains why the builders looked so grim. They would be sealing off this area should the need arise. Even at the cost of the lives of some of the soldiers.

"Anyone notice not a thing has come after us despite how close we're getting to the inner chamber?" TenTen asked.

"Noticed for a while." I told her.

As we walked nothing attacked us. Nothing but our footsteps made a sound. I put my hand on the Kusunagi sword. I was hoping that the very least, it would help me and these three get out of here alive.

"So, how would they know if they needed to close off the entrance to this place?" Naruto asked somewhat nervously.

"Someone would have to inform Ibiki on the situation." Neji stated. "After that Ibiki will bark the order for us to exit as quickly as possible. I don't know if he will estimate how long we would have but I would guess we wouldn't have a lot of time."

"So one person's call will be the difference between us living and dying in here?" I asked.

"Well if you want to look at it that way than yeah." TenTen said casually. "In all honesty though, every mission they send us on is considered a suicide mission. They don't expect us to return most of the time."

What a lovely thought. I saw Naruto starting to act nervously as well. This was freaking him out.

"Come on Naruto." I told him. "You can't tell me this scares you. Think of this like one of our stupid bets about running through the graveyard."

He just nodded his head. Of course he was still nervous but at least thoughts of home should calm him down for now.

"We're here." Neji said as he pulled out a key. "This is the chamber where the strongest soldiers, strongest fighters, and the deceased leaders of our town are buried."

"Good to know." I said somewhat sarcastically.

Neji unlocked a door made of iron bars and held it open for us to go through. TenTen went in first, then I practically shoved Naruto through, and Neji came in after us.

As we entered we saw a few of those large rats. So were all the monsters hiding in the inner chambers.

"The other squads should have reached their destinations by now." I heard Neji mutter.

We heard a few moans that sent chills up my spine as we explored this sector of the crypts. Each moan didn't sound normal to me. In fact they scared me if anything. The moans didn't sound like they were lost. In fact they sounded angry. They almost sounded like words. What was going on here?

Rounding a corner we saw Neji get jumped by one of those things. In a panic I swung my sword to kill the ghoul and narrowly missed Neji.

"Watch it Uchiha!" He yelled at me. "You almost got my neck!"

"That ghoul shouldn't have jumped you like that." I stated. "They aren't smart enough to pull that kind of thing."

The reality of my words caused Neji to forget his near death experience and I saw TenTen and Naruto's eyes widen.

"We need to see what caused this." Neji stated bluntly.

He continued to take the lead. No more ghouls showed up but the moans continued to practically haunt us. Neji peeked over each corner before walking through. I kept an eye behind us to see if anything was following us.  
"Shit!" I heard Neji say as he tried closed a door I didn't see him open.

He sliced off the arms of the ghouls that tried to grab him while TenTen slammed the door.

"Neji, if everyone here is a warrior, could they have retained their skills from their lifetime?" I asked. "If not, then could they be smarter than what we once thought."

"Well, if the first idea is true then we are in serious trouble." He said in a hushed voice. "We need to check the burial area for the Hokage of Konoha."

Walking down the hallway the radio Neji had been carrying that had been forgotten had voices coming from it.

"Inuzuka reporting in." I heard a male voice state. "Nothing wrong in the noblemen burial area."

"Nara reporting in." Another male voice stated. "Nothing out of the ordinary in the civilian sector."

"Mitarashi speaking." I heard a female voice practically yell. "Some strange things going on near the graves of the hunters. Ghouls are more aggressive."

Neji turned off the volume when we heard the sounds of many angry moans through the wall.

"I think all the strange activity is coming from this sector." TenTen stated.

I looked behind us and saw a door open. As it opened I saw a hoard of those ghouls. They were wearing shredded clothing and older armor but I noticed something about them. They didn't look like rotting flesh or anything like for that matter. In fact they looked almost alive..

"I think that's the least of our problems." I said pointing toward the door.

Soon more doors opened behind that one. The dead were literally rising.

"Everything is coming alive in here!" Naruto yelled.

"We need to run." Neji stated.

Not even thinking I followed him as he ran down the hall. Not knowing where he was taking us the three of us followed him blindly. What we didn't notice was that the ghouls didn't follow us. We were too panic stricken to I did notice was that we were heading down halls that had no doors. In fact the only door was now ahead of us.

"Wait here." Neji stated as he walked up to the door.

"That's the room to the Hokage burial room." TenTen stated. "If they've been turned into ghouls as well we might be in trouble."

"Why do you say that?" Naruto asked nervously.

I had a feeling I knew the answer.

"If that's the case and if what Uchiha said turns out to be true than they might have to close off this sector." TenTen stated. "Possibly the whole crypt until it can be dealt with properly."

As she spoke Neji slammed the door ahead of us as he cursed. Startled we all went towards him. Instead of responding to us he removed his helmet as he pulled up the radio.  
"This is Hyuga reporting in." He stated into the radio. "The ghouls are showing extreme signs of aggressive behavior and have taken the form of the fallen warriors here. No idea if they.."

A loud noise came from the door. It sounded like a battering ram was hitting the door..

"Scratch that, they ARE showing traits of the people they've possessed." He stated in a panic. "The Hokage buried here have been turned to ghouls and at least one of them shows traits similar to the First. This might apply to every ghoul in here."

There was silence on the radio. We just stood there while we heard the iron door taking abuse from the other side.

"ALL PERSONEL ARE TO RETREAT NOW." Ibiki yelled into the radio. "THE MAIN HALL LEADING TO THE INNER CHAMBERS WILL BE COMPLETELY SEALED OFF IN TEN MINUTES. THE MAIN ENTRANCE WILL BE SEALED IN TWENTY. YOU HAVE THAT MUCH TIME TO EXIT THE CRYPT. ANYONE LEFT BEHIND WILL BE SEALED IN. NO EXCEPTIONS."

After that the radio went dead and none of us said a word. His words still ringing in the nearly silent hall.

"How long did it even take us to get here?" Naruto asked in defeat, he already knew the answer."

"It took us forty-five minutes to reach this area." Neji stated. "If we could run back we might make it but..."

"Those ghouls are blocking our only way out." TenTen continued. "We don't have a high chance of getting out of here."

I grabbed the radio from Neji. Just accepting death like this wasn't an option for me. I wasn't going to just sit here while the commander gave us the equivalent of a death sentence.

"This is Uchiha." I said as I talked into the radio. "We're still near the innermost room of this sector. It took us a goof forty-five minutes to get here. There are ghouls blocking our exit. We need just a little more time to get out if possible."

Nothing came from the radio. I repeated my request a second time. More silence. Even the sound of the pounding on the iron door was silent.

"I believe I stated no objections." Ibiki said coldly. "You're only wasting time by trying to bargain. I suggest you start moving if you want to get out of there."

"Understood sir." I said practically spitting out the last word as I handed the radio back to Neji.

I started walking back the way we came. I grabbed Naruto by the collar.

"What the hell teme!?" He yelled when I grabbed him.

"Are you seriously just going to give up!?" I yelled back at him. "We promised to look out for each other. I'm not about to leave you here to die. I'm going to drag your ass back out there where we can see Sakura and get yelled at by her and brother after they see us both alright."

"You saw those things!" He yelled back. "These things were already tougher than anything we saw at home."  
"Are you telling me your scared!?" I yelled back at him. "Do you need me to fucking hold your hand like a child or are you gonna fight!?"

I know that was a bit of a low blow but dammit now was not the time to give up.

"If you're done being a coward then we can start heading back." I said as I unsheathed the Kusunagi Sword. "I will cut us a path out of here and get us out. Neji, TenTen come on. We're wasting time."

I heard them starting to follow me. We would get out of here. Even if we had to claw our way out.

**A/N: Uh-oh... looks like they got into some pretty bad trouble just now didn't they? Naruto! Sasuk! Get out of there dammit oh wait... I'm writing this story... -le sigh- Oh well at least I get to create the outcome. =w= anyway. If liked/disliked the story tell me why in a review. I'd love to hear er... read some of your guy's feedback.**


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